The mayor of Nagoya earned himself internet infamy and a rare rebuke from Toyota Motor Corp. when he chomped down on an Olympic gold medal at an event meant to celebrate its winner, softball pitcher Miu Goto.
During the incident on Wednesday, Takashi Kawamura pulled down his mask and put Goto's gold medal between his teeth as he stood in front of a backdrop used for press briefings that urge people to wash their hands and practice social distancing to prevent COVID-19 infections.
Trending posts on Twitter said Kawamura had turned Goto's gold medal into a germ medal, which in Japanese is pronounced the same. Some called for Goto to get a replacement for the medal she won at the Tokyo 2020 Games playing for Japan.